Recommended Warranty

Cisco Catalyst 4500-X series switch is a fixed aggregation switch that delivers excellent scalability, simplified network virtualization, and integrated network services for space-constrained environments in campus networks. It meets business growth objectives with unprecedented scalability, simplifies network virtualization with support for one-to-many and many-to-one virtual networks, and enables emerging applications by integrating many network services.

Cisco Catalyst 4500-X series provides scalable, fixed-campus aggregation solutions in space-constrained environments. The solution provides flexibility to build desired port density through two versions of base switches along with optional uplink module. The Small Form-Factor Pluggable Plus (SFP+) interface supports both 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 1 Gigabit Ethernet ports, allowing customers to use their investment in 1 Gigabit Ethernet SFP and upgrade to 10 Gigabit Ethernet when business demands change, without having to do a comprehensive upgrade of the existing deployment. The uplink module is hot swappable.

Technical Specifications

Specifications are provided by the manufacturer. Refer to the manufacturer for an explanation
of the print speed and other ratings.

Rated 4 out of 5 by Dmitriy Ronkin Pros: streamlined and versatile solutions. Cons: expensive maintenance fees and they are slow with patches Valuable Features:Versatility and streamlined IOSAvailability of expertise on the market (resources)Improvements to My Organization:Streamlined IOS helped to develop templates for Ethernet Switches without worrying of compatibility of commands in regards to hardware platforms.Modularity of Industrial switches (IE3000) provides flexibility in solutions yet based on one platform.Vast array of Industrial models (IE2000, IE3000, IE4000, IE5000).Room for Improvement:Acceptance of open source trends (there is slight move already - just keep going)Use of Solution:10 years overall for all switching/routing products. Industrial switches for last 5 years.Deployment Issues:NoStability Issues:NoScalability Issues:Well, need more pro-active option to add PoE modules to Industrial switches.Customer Service:We deal with a Cisco partner - 4.5 out of 5.Technical Support:We deal with a Cisco partner - 4.0 out of 5. Sometimes we find the solution before we get an answer from the Cisco partner.Previous Solutions:Everything is driven by business requirements, which in turn different from one project to another. Major points are: availability of support/expertise beyond internal resources, territorial coverage, performance and support of multiple options from enterprise to industrial environmentInitial Setup:Straightforward.Implementation Team:90 % in house. Vendor team has sufficient skills.Other Solutions Considered:There are multiple vendors but they are very specialized and do not support versatile solutions. For example, we had to move from Schneider switches as they were just a marketing move by vendor and did not provided better performance or compatibility with SCADA products.Other Advice:Start from your business requirements (what would you like to have) and budget (what can you afford).Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions. August 12, 2016

Rated 4 out of 5 by Simon Chaba Modules are hot swappable, as you have dual power supplies. If you need improvements, you'll need to upgrade the hardware. Valuable Features:Support for various dynamic IP routing protocols and the ability to slot in additional modules while the switch is running.Improvements to My Organization:Modules are hot swappable, as you have dual power supplies, as well as support for various dynamic IP routing protocols.Room for Improvement:Nothing that I can think of. If you want to improve, you have the choice to upgrade the hardware.Use of Solution:I've used it for four years.Deployment Issues:No issues encountered.Stability Issues:It's been very stable since deployment.Scalability Issues:It's very scalable, as you just need to buy new modules, and slot them in as and when required.Customer Service:Excellent customer service.Technical Support:I never had an issue yet with this product which required TAC intervention but from my previous experience Cisco TAC support is the best.Previous Solutions:We previously used 3com switches, and we switched to Cisco in order to standardize our network hardware.Initial Setup:It's easy to deploy if you know what you are doing, and do proper planning. For me, it was pretty straightforward. I have years of experience on Cisco products.Implementation Team:It was an in-house deployment.ROI:It's high.Cost and Licensing Advice:It's worth the price you pay.Other Solutions Considered:We considered using Cisco 3700 series switches and stacking them.Other Advice:It's best for access layer deployment.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions. July 7, 2015

Rated 4 out of 5 by Tommy Nguyen Cisco 6509 Ether Switches can be a one stop and do-it-all product for a huge enterprise. Valuable Features:The blade module feature which provide the scalability for site expansion.Improvements to My Organization:A Cisco Network Structure consisted of 3 Layers (Core, Distribution &amp; Access). We used the FWSM (Firewall Services Module) to route the traffic and as a gateway to get to the WAN. As a result, we were able to collapse the Core Layer into the Distribution Layer with a few blade modules (FWSM, SUP &amp; Ethernet).Room for Improvement:A FoE module would be imminent in the future. This module can communicate with storage devices' and ESXi Servers' HBA (fiber) connection via fibre channel switches (Brocade or Cisco MDS). This can provide a cost effective method in a data center environment without upgrading to a more advanced Cisco Nexus core switch.Use of Solution:5 yearsDeployment Issues:The power supply requires certain sockets and UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). Each device should require a designated UPS for it. The UPS should not be shared with other devices. An improper termination of the switch's power supply cased a power surge and took out a SUP module during an annual power test.Stability Issues:No extraordinary issues. Just minor day-to-day issues.Scalability Issues:The Chassis can run out of slots as the environment expand further along.Customer Service:Great but Cisco outsources its customer support services to India since most of our issues and outages occurred after hours. Some support technicians have a heavy Indian accent which led to difficult comprehension and time consumption.Technical Support:4.5 out of a 5 since Tech Support personnels are very knowledgeable of the product.Previous Solutions:No, I have not due to our contract agreement with Cisco.Initial Setup:The initial setup consist of the right personnel to set up and administer the product.Implementation Team:All implementation were completed by in-house team members.ROI:Centralized administration and reduced time consumption.Cost and Licensing Advice:The SUP (Supervisor) module can provide up to 720 GBPS of data transmission compared to a stackable Cisco 3750 switches.Other Solutions Considered:Yes, the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series core switches.Other Advice:No further comments.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions. September 3, 2014